Melissa Laing

Ms. Melissa Laing

Associate Lecturer

Details

About

Melissa Laing (she/her) is an Associate Lecturer in Social Work and Human Services and the Gender and Social Change theme co-lead in the Social Equity Research Centre (or SERC). 

 

Melissa is a social work researcher with a passion for the interconnected nature of human and nonhuman wellbeing. Her PhD research is centred on the Human-Animal Bond and its implications for human services practice with marginalised groups, with a particular focus on the intersection between gender-based violence, animal abuse and poverty. 

 

Melissa is also passionate about enhancing social work pedagogy with the addition of post-anthropocentric, intersectional approaches that interrogate the anthropocentrism of contemporary service delivery. She has been instrumental in building industry partnerships with animal welfare organisations for work-integrated learning in social work, and has supervised social work students in a veterinary hospital and pet therapy settings.

 

Melissa’s work is transdisciplinary, and she has presented her doctoral research at social work, sociology and animal studies conferences. Her most recent presentation was in September 2023 at the European Conference on Domestic Violence in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Research fields

  • 3901 Curriculum and pedagogy
  • 4409 Social work
  • 4410 Sociology

UN sustainable development goals

  • 5 Gender Equality
  • 1 No Poverty
  • 15 Life on Land
  • 10 Reduced Inequalities
  • 3 Good Health and Well Being
  • 4 Quality Education

Academic positions

  • Associate Lecturer
  • RMIT University
  • Social Work and Human Services, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies
  • Melbourne, Australia
  • 14 Feb 2022 – Present

Teaching interests

Melissa has taught critical approaches to social work at a second year undergraduate level, and honours research project students at the fourth year undergraduate level. Recently she has begun field education supervision, into which she weaves critical approaches to the human-animal bond.

Research interests

Social Work, Human-Animal Interaction, Critical Animal Studies, Feminist Animal Studies, Housing and Homelessness, Domestic and Family Violence, Education Systems

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.